Smyrna woman accused of DUI with granddaughter in backseat of car

A Smyrna woman, Lydia Atia Parvanta, has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs and is accused of being asleep at an intersection while transporting her granddaughter. 

On Aug. 7, Parvanta, 40, was operating a 2014 Black Ford Fiesta that was stopped at the traffic light at the intersection of Mt. Wilkinson and Spring Hill parkway in Smyrna with her right turn signal activated. 

According to an arrest warrant for the Cobb County Police Department, an officer observed Parvanta’s driver side window was partially lowered and she was slumped over with her face covered in sweat. 

The officer attempted to wake her by yelling, but Parvanta did not respond. The officer then attempted a sternum rub to wake Parvanta and after several seconds she made a grunting sound before waking. 

Parvanta appeared disoriented when she woke and the officer observed her pupils were pinpoint, according to the warrant. The officer then observed a juvenile victim, who happened to be Parvanta’s granddaughter, asleep in the back right seat. 

The officer managed to awaken the juvenile through speech. The young girl assured the officer that she was fine, had access to food and drink, and was in good condition. 

During a search of Parvanta’s vehicle, the officer discovered 1.8 grams of suspected cocaine, 2.4 grams of suspected heroin, and 12 pills of suspected Alprazolam. A search warrant was subsequently secured for Parvanta’s blood. 

However, Parvanta refused to cooperate with the phlebotomist’s attempt to draw blood, leading to the inability to collect a blood sample.

Parvanta faces numerous charges including drug-related DUI, DUI with child endangerment, obstruction of law enforcement, possession of cocaine, possession of heroin, possession of controlled substances, and impeding traffic flow. 
According to jail records, Parvanta was arrested and taken into custody on August 7 at 4:50 p.m. and booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

Parvanta remains in custody on a bond amounting to $15,000.